Chapter 143: Forming A Good Relationship
“You brat, always thinking about my bit of family fortune.” Ruizi Ye laughed and cursed, giving a look to the servant.
Soon, a tray covered with a high bulging brocade cloth was brought up.
Ruizi Ye gently lifted the brocade cloth, revealing a blue and white porcelain.
Cao Weida’s eyes were immediately attracted, his eyes showing appreciation and fondness.
Is this the Ming Yongle Jingdezhen imperial kiln blue and white porcelain? It’s really too beautiful!
This is the artistic heritage of the old ancestors!
In terms of appreciation, there really can’t be any doubt about the old ancestors!
“Old Master Rui, can I handle it to take a look?”
“Of course, but be careful. This porcelain is precious and fragile, so handle it with care. Money is secondary; if it’s chipped or damaged, that would be too regrettable.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.” Cao Weida nodded quickly. Fragile things like porcelain warranted Old Master Rui’s reminder, so he naturally felt no displeasure.
For such a treasure, if he really chipped or damaged it, money would truly be secondary; he would feel guilt, as it would be blasphemy against the old ancestors!
He carefully picked up the porcelain vase, carefully feeling the tactile sensation brought by the porcelain.
He only felt it smooth and pure in hand, as fine and smooth as touching sleek silk.
The body was moderately thick or thin, giving a sense of weight in hand, with a steady center of gravity.
The color was elegant and solemn, bright and striking, clearly layered, making him love it so much one cannot put it down.
He knew nothing about antiques, but he just felt that good stuff was good stuff.
“It’s really beautiful.” Cao Weida couldn’t help praising.
Then, he didn’t know how to praise it further.
“Haha.” Fan Wu Ye couldn’t help laughing, “I thought you’d come up with some fancy words of praise. Turns out it’s just ‘beautiful’?”
Ruizi Ye also couldn’t help laughing, but neither showed any contempt; on the contrary, Ruizi Ye appreciated Cao Weida’s straightforwardness even more.
Some people, once they gain power, always like to show off, pretending to know what they don’t and talking big, but they don’t realize that to outsiders, they’re just clowns desperately trying to show off their capabilities.
On the contrary, being open and honest—not knowing is not knowing, liking is liking—such an attitude earns more appreciation from others.
“Not knowing is fine. Fan Wu, help Cao’er take a look.”
“Alright, since you’ve spoken, I’ll share my humble opinion. But I must say upfront, my abilities are limited. If I’m wrong, don’t laugh at me; that’s just about my level of skill.”
“Cao Ye, put the porcelain on the table.”
There’s a rule in antiques: porcelain doesn’t pass hand to hand. Although Cao Weida knew nothing about antiques, he knew this rule, thanks to the information explosion of later generations.
He gently placed the porcelain on the table, assuming a posture of listening attentively.
In the original work, Fan Wu Ye lacked systematic appraisal knowledge and had shallow understanding of antiques’ ages and process evolution, often deceived by superficial effort.
Plus being face-conscious and boastful, always regarding himself as an expert, this mindset made him prone to subjective judgments in appraisals, even fabricating lies to save face, which ultimately led to him being schemed against by Lan Yigui; for the sake of final dignity, he ended his ill-fated life with one shot.
But as a descendant of Bannerman, Fan Wu Ye had been immersed in it since childhood and had some knowledge of basic styles and common decorations of antiques, speaking professional terms eloquently.
He picked up the porcelain and spoke eloquently:
“Cao Ye, look at this porcelain. The body is smooth, almost no granularity, the glaze thick and naturally lustrous, warm like fine jade, without any orange-peel glaze texture.”
“The decoration uses Su Malv Qing, naturally diffused very evenly, dense areas condensing black tin light, deeply recessed into the body.”
“Overall, it has a measured childishness, elegant and exquisite.”
“Yongle imperial porcelain inherits Wang Yuan above and leads to Xuande below, with successive superb products, especially exquisite, still prized today, with phrases like ‘its excellence based on Song, its fierceness unmatched,’ held in utmost esteem!”
“It’s just that Ruizi Ye is benevolent; otherwise, such a good thing wouldn’t easily come out.”
Clap clap clap~~
Ruizi Ye lightly clapped his hands and smiled kindly: “Fan Wu, you brat, you haven’t lost your eye for this. If it weren’t you speaking up, I really wouldn’t bear to bring it out.”
This group of Bannerman descendants valued clear hierarchy most. In front of Ruizi Ye, Fan Wu Ye didn’t dare act big, humbly cupping his hands with a lowered attitude, saying, “Ruizi Ye, you’re too kind. In front of you, I’m just a novice, far inferior to you.”
“The price is already settled with Cao Ye. Your price is fair, and I didn’t haggle privately: nine thousand silver dollars, which Cao Ye has agreed to.”
Ruizi Ye didn’t reply immediately but waved to the sides: “You all go out. Fan Wu, you too. I’ll discuss some other business with Cao’er.”
Fan Wu Ye raised his brows, winked at Cao Weida, and rose with a chuckle: “Alright, I’ll wait outside. Call me if you need anything.”
With that, he took all the servants in the room out and thoughtfully closed the door.
Once everyone was out, Cao Weida said: “Old Master Rui, what do you need?”
Old Master Rui twirled the Buddhist beads in his hand, was silent for a moment, then said: “I wouldn’t dare call it a command. To be honest, when Fan Wu first came about this, I had no intention of selling my family fortune. Though my Beile Mansion’s life isn’t what it used to be, thanks to ancestors’ shade, we’ve still some spare money left.”
Cao Weida nodded. He knew a bit about Ruizi Mansion; Old Master Rui was one of the rare Manchu Qing nobles who hadn’t squandered his fortune.
Not only did he have this house and those antiques, but also two shops on the surface; business wasn’t booming, but it covered the mansion’s daily expenses without issue.
Though Old Master Rui’s eyes were cloudy, his mind was sharp.
“This treasure, I can give you for free, only wanting one promise from Cao Ye in exchange.”
He even changed the address back to ‘Cao Ye,’ showing utmost seriousness in attitude.
But Cao Weida wasn’t buying it.
“Old Master Rui, I don’t lack this money. Though I’m no big shot, thinking a mere nine thousand silver dollars can buy a promise from me… heh.”
Cao Weida didn’t consider himself a good man, but he absolutely wasn’t one to break promises easily for gain.
This old man clearly knew his current weight; otherwise, try it with an ordinary person—would the old man make such a choice?
It was all just serving dishes based on the person anyway.
“I think we’d better forget it. I’ll pay the money.”
“Young people are always impatient.” Old Master Rui, seeing Cao Weida uninterested, felt some disappointment but also more reassured.
After all, those who don’t promise easily are the ones who value credibility and promises.
If such petty profit could make Cao Weida agree easily, he’d instead worry if the deal was worth it.
“Don’t be hasty. If the price isn’t enough, we can negotiate more.”
Cao Weida leaned back, interestedly saying: “Oh? Then I’d really like to hear what conditions you’ll offer.”
“What if I add my eldest daughter-in-law, two cases of antique calligraphy and paintings, and a two-courtyard siheyuan?”
“Don’t worry, my second son died young, so the eldest daughter-in-law is still a virgin. Marry her as a concubine, and the two cases of antique calligraphy and paintings and two-courtyard siheyuan will be her dowry. What do you think?”
Cao Weida couldn’t help laughing. “Old Master Rui is really generous—giving a person, antique calligraphy and paintings, and a house, and the person is your eldest daughter-in-law. Such huge capital, I dare not accept it steadily; it’d burn my hands. Better forget it.”
He admitted to being greedy and lustful, naturally coveting Ru Qiulan who resembled Feng Laizi, but he absolutely wouldn’t give a promise for a woman.
No matter how generous Ru Qiulan’s dowry.
Anyway, once Old Master Rui died, Ru Qiulan would be driven out; then he could use some tricks to take her.
This way, no promise needed, he gets the beauty, and conveniently pockets the ‘dowry’ she takes away.
Old Master Rui’s heart sank; he saw Cao Weida wasn’t pretending—he truly had no interest in the conditions.
This left him somewhat frustrated, dryly laughing: “Look at you getting hasty again. Hear me out fully before deciding.”
Cao Weida shrugged indifferently. “Then go ahead, old man. I’m all ears.”
“Sigh, this actually involves family scandal; I didn’t want to air it.”
Say it or not, this old man isn’t interested in listening!
Originally, after Fan Wu Ye’s words, Cao Weida was quite interested, but now it seemed he hadn’t guessed wrong: Old Master Rui wasn’t some virtuous man; he was using his eldest daughter-in-law as a bargaining chip.
Thus, Cao Weida felt somewhat displeased, his expression showing impatience.
This old man might not be swamped with affairs, but time was precious—who had time to waste here? Better spend it with his women.
Didn’t his two concubines keep clamoring lately to bear him children?
Old Master Rui noticed Cao Weida’s impatience and didn’t dare waste words, quickly saying:
“To be honest, my health is failing more and more; I’m afraid I don’t have much time left.”
“My eldest son and eldest daughter-in-law’s nature… If I close my eyes, this Ruizi Mansion…”
“I’m not using Ru Qiulan as a chip. After so many years by my side, I’ve long treated her like my own daughter, but my eldest son and eldest daughter-in-law have always…”
“If I go, Ru Qiulan’s days won’t be easy. First, I want to find her a reliable man; second, to forge a good relationship for my Rui Mansion lineage.”
“Just a good relationship?” Cao Weida sneered, “Then the cost of your good relationship is quite high.”
